Wednesday -May be 9.55

15 April 2015

02:19

Now on the train to Moscow, and time is very strange.

I thought that crossing 5 time zones by train slowly would be easier than the brutal single hop in a plane, but oh no it is not that simple.

Let me explain

The train set off at 15.22 China time, and at 16.22 Mongol time (which is 1 hr ahead of China as it uses day light saving time) , even though it is geographically behind China.

As we crossed the border the time on the train clocks leapt back from 23.15 china time to early evening  18.15 Moscow time, even though it was still pitch black midnight local time.

So we are left with the conundrum of whether to go to Moscow time ( and delay all our meals), stay with China time ( and risk being late for meals) or run our own moving time zone, and eat when we fancy.

For instance, my watch ( still on Beijing time 1500km to the east ) tells me it is 14.52 , while the train thinks it is 9.55 (but that is the time 4500km to the west) , … so Fiona I are 'discussing' (arguing over)whether we should have an early Chinese dinner, late Russian breakfast or just a Mongolian snack.  Or is the other way round?

I think we are condemned to spend the next three days in a sort of limbo, drifting slowly back in time , and wondering what time we can have the first beer without feeling guilty and decadent.